Committee for Urban and Regional Applied Research (CURAR)

The aim of the Le Moyne College Center for Urban and Regional Applied Research is to provide an infrastructure for collaborative research that serves the needs of the Central New York Community. CURAR's strategy involves fostering dialogue and supporting research endeavors that bring together the various capacities, energies, visions and experience of faculty members, students and local community and government leaders. CURAR promotes an interdisciplinary and active approach to citizenship that includes a diverse variety of community members as well as faculty associates from across the spectrum of academic fields. Guided by the Jesuit mission of economic and social justice, CURAR's ultimate mission is to foster an economic, educational, social, political, and environmental infrastructure for a more just society.

Urban and regional studies is an interdisciplinary field that analyzes cities and the regions surrounding them as cultural, social, historical and ecological systems. To understand these systems, urban and regional studies draws upon theories and methodologies from the social sciences (anthropology, criminology, demography, economics, political science, psychology and sociology), the humanities (philosophy, art, literature, cultural studies and history), the natural sciences (ecology and environmental studies), urban architecture and design and public policy & planning.

Recent Project Spotlight:

Arts Research Takes Center Stage at Le Moyne College:

Team of Cross-Disciplinary Faculty Receives Funding to Conduct Research

Syracuse, NY – On the campus of Le Moyne College, a cross-disciplinary team of faculty has received funding to conduct research on the consequences of various types of social capital for civic life in the arts community, as well as the financial return on investment of fostering a strong relationship between the arts community and other local banks of social capital.

The $15,000 grant is derived from the Arts & Culture Research Fund, which includes contributions by the New York Community Trust, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York Council for the Humanities, and the John R. Oishei Foundation.

Given the recent economic downturn and its effects on arts organizations state-wide, the researchers hope to find correlations that will help arts and cultural organizations to create long term sustainability models.

The research team includes professors Matthew Loveland (Sociology), Travis Newton (Arts Administration), Delia Popescu (Political Science) and Frank Ridzi (Sociology). The team also includes Olive Sephuma, Director of Community Grantmaking at the Central New York Community Foundation.

“We understand intuitively that cultural activities are essential for the health of the community,” says Le Moyne College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda LeMura, “but research is imperative to gauge how the arts integrate with the economic interests of the city. Our team of interdisciplinary scholars bring their diverse talents to bear on this challenge.”

Research findings will be disseminated in a number of ways, including a policy memo to be circulated online, via local community and arts organization list-servs, and through presentations to interested arts and cultural institutions. Team members will also tweet results periodically, using #SocietyAndArt.

Current Events

CURAR Scholars Sought

The Committee for Urban and Regional Applied Research (CURAR) is currently seeking applications from faculty members to become CURAR scholars in 2015-2016. This designation comes with a stipend and is designed to encourage applied research in Central New York that has a clear benefit for the community. Projects should involve at least one community member or constituency and faculty members are encouraged to involve students in their research. Please contact David P. Voorhees, CURAR awards chair, to discuss or submit proposals for potential projects before the deadline of Feb. 15, 2015. For more information click on the Applied Research Fellow Link Below.

Thanks to all who made our Fall Careers in Publc Service Event a Success! If you are interested in a career in public service, nonprofits or public administration, please contact Frank Ridzi at ridzifm@lemoyne.edu

Faculty Affiliates

There are currently 22 faculty affiliates of CURAR, representing a broad range of academic fields. Click here for a list of faculty associates and their research interests.

Research Associates

Those involved in research projects with CURAR who are not members of the Le Moyne faculty may be appointed as Research Associates. Click here for a list of research associates and their research interests.

Applied Research Fellowships

These are one-year fellowships with a stipend that averages about $2,000 or higher based on available funding, awarded for faculty & research associate projects that involve students in applied scholarship.